Apparatus for handling spools of wire while the wire is being withdrawn therefrom



G. E. LORENZ APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE June 28, 1960THE WIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 14,1957 June 28, 1960 G. E. LORENZ ETA!- 2,942,797

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE THE WIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWNTHEREFROM Filed Nov. 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Armswsr June 28, 1960 G.E. LORENZ ETAL 2,942,797 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE THEWIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Uni-Ed m atent2,941,191 AIPPAZR' A rUs FoR HAND" use SPO'QLS or win WIRE 'IS BEINGWITHDRAWN THEREFROM 'Gordon E. Lorenz, Chicago, andJohn R. Weigel,Elmhurst, 111., assignors to Western Electric Compara lecorpora'ted, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York 1 Filed Nov. 14,1957, se m. 96,5455 Claims. (Cl. 242 -19) 'lhe present invention relates to apparatus forhair dling heavy spools of who while the Wire .is being withdrawntherefrom, and more particularly to mechanism {for raising andsupporting a pair of'heavy spools of wire individually at a 'wireunwinding station to permit the Wire to be unwound therefrom and topermit the wires on the spools to be interconnected .for continuous payolf.

An object of the present invention 1o provide a simple and effective aparatus :for handling heavy spools of'wire while thewire is beingwithdrawn therefrom.

-Anothe'r 'objectfof the invention is the provision of an apparatus forraisingheavy spools of wire individually and supporting a pair of them"at an unwinding station in positions permitting the wires of the spoolsto be interconnectedand continuously paid on from the'sp'ools.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplatesthe provis'ion of a first spool-handling mechanism having a base 'onwhich a heavy spool of wire is placed and rolled along atrack toa'prede'ter- 'rnin'e'd loading position with'the aperture of the spoolin coaxial alignment with an arbor mounted on a slide. The slide isadvanced on the base from a normal retracte'd position to a forwardposition by a fluid actuator under control of a manually -operatedvalveto cause the arbor to telescopically engage the spool, in response towhich a second fluid actuator operates to tilt the arbor on the slide,thereby raising'the reel and supporting it in 'a predetermined obliqueposition in which the 'wire is withdrawn from the spool over one endthereof and through a stationary guide disposed above "and along theaxis of the spool. When the wire "has been withdrawn from the spool themanually o erated valve is actuated to cause the pivotal return movementof the arbor on the slide and the return movement of the slide toe'ife'ct the lowering of the empty spool onto the base 'and'thewithdrawal of the arbor from'the spool. A second spool handlingmechanism is disposed in opposed and reversed position relative to thefirst spool handling mechanism to raise and support a second spool ofWire in an oblique position so that the leading end of the wire on thesecond .spool may be 'Weldedto the tail end ofthe wire on'th'e firstspool, to enable the wire to be continuously withdrawn from the spools.

. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood by reference to the following description and theaccompanying drawings, in which:

.Fig. .1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying featuresof the invention for raising and .sup porting heavy spools of wire topermit 'thewire 1t5 be Withdrawn therefrom and showing one unit of theapparatus with-a spool supporting arbor in raised position and --asecond unit of the apparatus with the spool supporting :arbor in loweredand retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic wiew of "the fluid actuating mechanism of oneunit of the apparatus and the controls therefor; f

Fig. '3 is an enlarged plan view of one unit of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 isa side elevational sectional view of the "unit of the apparatusshown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view "of the apparatustaken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a vfragnnentary vertical sectional view of the apparatustak'en along line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and showing the iatchiu'g meansfor'lockin'g a spool supporting arbor in tilted position. a

Referring to Fig. 'l of the drawings; the present apparatus comprises apair of spool handling mechanisms orunits '20 and Zlfor raising andsupporting heavy spools of wire 22 in oblique positions while the Wireis being unwound sequentially therefrom at a wire-unwinding sta -tionand advanced to amachine for processing the wire.

The mechanisms .29 and 21 are duplicates of each other and are arrangedin opposed and reversed positi'ons rela tive to each other :for handlingthe spools individually. Thespools of Wire .22 which weigh about 1,000pounds each and are too heavy for manual handling are of conventionalconstruction, each spool having a cylindrical drum 123 onwhich the wireis wound and a pair of heads 24 which are provided withrelatively widerims for supporting the spool for rolling movement.

Each of the :spool handling mechanisms 20 and 21 comprises a blade 27secured to a'floor 2'8 and including :a pairo'f tracks 29 onto which .aspool 22 is adapted to be rolled and which guides the spool for movementalong a predetermined path. A positioning member 30 extendingtransversely across the tracks 29 serves to stop the spool and positionit in coaxial alignment with 'an arbor 32. The arbor '32 in the .form of'a cylindrical shell welded to a plate 33 which at its lower ends has apair of trunnions 34 .journaled in bearings 35 on a slide 36 forsupporting the arbor 32 for oscillata'ol'e movement to and from a normalhorizontal position as shown in the .left hand portion of Fig. 1 and atilted position as shown in the right hand portion of Fig. .l. The slide36 is mounted for slidable movement on the base 27 along a path parallelto the axis of a spool in loading position to a nonnalretracted position(Fig. 4) and to a forward .position with the arbor 32 in telescopingengagement with :the spool 22.

At its upper end the plate 33 :is .pivotally connected to one end*of'the piston rod 40, the piston 41 (Fig. 2 of which is .reciprocablein .a cylinder 42 of a fluid a'ctuator -43 .for imparting oscillatablemovement to the arbor .32. The cylinder 42 is pivotally cormectedat 44to a pair of brackets 45 which are secured to the slide 35 for movementtherewith. Reciprocation is imparted to the slide 36 by a fluid actuator48 which comprises a cylinder 49 fixedly secured to the slide 36:formovement therewith and a ist'ationarypiston 5G. The piston 50 has apiston rod 51 connected to a bracket 52 which is fixedly secured to thebase '27.

Opposite ends of the fluid actuators 43 and 4821 8 connectedby'condui-ts 55 inthe form of pipes andfiexible .hoses=to a source ofcompressed air, and the-compressed fair is admitted to the actuatorsunder control:ofarn'anually operable valve 56 and a pair of sequencingvalves 57 .andv58 to eflect the horizontal and thetiltingmovements ofthe arbor'32 in 'a predetermined sequence. 'Ih'ezsequencing valves 57and 58 are each :spring actu'ated'to one position and mechanicallyactuated to a second position. The sequencing'valve 57 is sta'tion'arilymounted on a 'fram'e 59 (Figs. '4'and 5) which extends upwardlyfrornthebase 2 7 andalso supports the manually operated valve '56,andthe sequencing valve 58 is mountedonthe slide so as shown in Figs. 3,'4"and"5.'

The manually-operable valve 56 has a handle "60 movable from a neutralposition to a first position A and to a second position B (Fig. 2). Whenthe valve handle is moved to position A, compressed air is directed tothe sequencing valve 57 which in its normal position directs thecompressed air to the forward end of the fluid actua- ,gagement with aspool 22. In response to the movement of the arbor 32 into engagementwith the spool 22 the sequencing valve 57 is actuated to its secondposition by :a cam 61 on the slide 36, in 'which position the valve 57;cuts off the compressed air 'from the fluid actuator 48 are no spools22 in the apparatus, an operator places a spool on the tracks 29 of thespool handling mechanisms and directs it to the forward end of theactuator 43 to cause it to oscillate thearbor'32 from its normalhorizontal position to its tilted position and thereby raise the spool22 from the tracks 29 and support it in a predetermined obliquelydisposed position.

7 Withthe spool supported in its elevated oblique position as shown inthe right hand mechanism in Fig. 1

the-wire may be withdrawn therefrom over the end of the spool and,through a guide aperture in a stationary wire guide 62., The wire guide62 is mounted on a suit- The arbor 32 is. stopped'in its predeterminedtilted posi-tion by a stop plate 64 which engages the plate 33 of thearbor and is mounted on a pair of parallel vertically disposed pla'tes65fixedly secured to the slide '36. The

arbor 32 is locked in its tilted position by a latch 66 during theunwinding of the wire from the spool in order to avoid premature returnmovement of the arbor in the event of failure of the compressedair-supply and the fluid actuator 43. The latch 66 has a hooked endengageable with the plate 33 of the arbor and is mounted for pivotalmovement about a pivot pin 67supported in the plates 65. A torsionspring 68 yieldably maintains the latch in operative position forlocking the arbor in its tilted position, and a' fluid actuator 70 whichis supported between the plates 65 has a piston rod 71 engageable withan arm 73 of the latch for turning the 1 latch in a clockwise directionto releasethe arbor 32.

After the wire has been unwound from the spool 22, the handle 60 of themanually operated valve 56 is moved to its position B which causes thecompressed air to be directed by this valve to the sequencing valve- 58which currently is in a position in which it directs the compressed airto a valve 75 which in turn directs the compressed air to the actuator70 and to the rear end of the fluid actuator 43 to efiect the release ofthe latch 66 and the return of the arbor 32 from its raised and tiltedposition to its horizontal position with the spool 22 resting on thetracks 29. The valve 75 and the connections therefrom to the fluidactuators 70 and 43 are so designed that the fluid actuator 70 isoperated prior to the operation of the fluid actuator 43 whereby thelatch 66 is actuated to release the arbor 32 before the arbor is movedfrom its tilted position to its normal horizontal position. In responseto the movement of the arbor 32 to itshorizontal position the sequencingvalve 58 is actuated to its second position, by an arm 77 on the plate33 and a lever 78, to direct the compressed air to the rear end of thefluid actuator 48 and thereby cause the movement of the slide to itsretracted position to effect the withdrawal of the arbor 32 from thespool 22; The lever 78 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on abracket 79 (Fig. 5) secured to one of the plates 65. As indicated inFigs. 1, 3 and 4 the manually operated valves 56 of both of the spoolhandling mechanisms 20 and 21 are mounted on the frame 59 in closeproximity to each other where they are readily accessible to theoperator.

In the operation of the device, if we assume that there 20 and rolls itinto engagement with the positioning member 30 thereon to align it withthe arbor 32. The operator then turns the handle 69 0f the valve 56 ofthe mechanism 20 to position A to cause the actuator 48 to advance theslide36 and move-the arbor 32 into telescoping engagement with the spool22'andtocause the actuator 43 to oscillate the arbor 32 to its tiltedposition thereby raising the spoolof wire 22 to its elevated obliqueposition. The leading end of, the wire is then unwound from the spool 22and threadedinto the guide 62 and advanced to the machine for processingit.

While the wire is being withdrawn from the first spool, the operatorplaces a second spool on the tracks '29 of the spool handling mechanism21 and rolls it into loading position in, alignment 'with the arbor 32.The operator then turns the handle 60 of the valve 56 of the spoolhandle mechanism 21 to position A to eifect the forward movement of thearbor 32 into telescoping engagement with the second spool andtheoscillation ofthe arbor to its tilted position to raise the secondspool 22 to its elevated oblique position. With the two spools supportedin elevated oblique positions, the leading end of the wire of the secondspool may then be bonded to the tail end of the wire of the first spoolto provide for continuous unwinding of the wire from the spools. Afterthe wire has been unwoundfrom the first spool, the operator turns thevalve handle 60 of the spool handlemechanism 20 to position B to effectsequentially the unlatching of the arbor, the oscillatablemovement ofthe arbor from its tilted to its normal horizontal position to lower thespool onto the tracks 29, and the horizontal movement of the arbor todisengage it from the spool. .The empty spool V 22 may then be rolledaway and replaced with a full spool of wirepreparatory to the next cycleof operation.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of this invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwindingstationwhich comprises a base, means on said base for locating a spool thereonin a predetermined loading position in coaxial alignment with a firsthorizontal axis, an. arbor for supporting. the spool of wire, mountingmeans on said base for supporting the arbor in a first position incoaxial alignment with said axis and for movement along said axis intoengagement with said spool and for pivotal movement about a second axisto a raised and tilted position, a first actuating means for moving saidarbor along said first axis into and from engagement with said spool ofwire, a second actuating means for pivotally moving the arbor aboutsaidsecond axis from said first position to said tilted position toraise the spool from the base to a predetermined obliquely disposedunwinding position, and control means for of.- fecting the sequentialoperation of the first and the second actuating means. 1

2. An apparatus for handling heavyspools of wire at an unwinding stationwhichcor'nprises' a base, means on said base for locating a; spoolthereon" in a predetermined loading position in coaxial alignment with apredetermined horizontal axis, an arbor 'for supporting the spool ofwire, a slide on said base' for supporting the arbor in a first positionin coaxial alignment with said predetermined axis and for movement withthe slide'along said predetermined axis into engagement with said spooland for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis disposedtransversely of said first axis, a first actuating means for moving saidarbor along said first axis into and from engagement with said spool ofwire, a second actuating means forpivotally moving the arbor about saidsecond axis from said first position to an upwardly tilted position toraise the spool to a predetermined obliquely disposed unwindingposition, latching means for releasably locking the arbor in said tiltedposition, and means for effecting the sequential actuation of said firstand said second actuation means and said latching means.

3. In an apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwindingstation, a base, means on said base for guiding'a spool for rollingmovement to a predetermined loading position coaxially aligned with apredetermined horizontal axis, a slide mounted on said base for movementparallel to said axis, an arbor pivotally mounted on the slide forsupporting the spool, a fluid actuator on said slide for pivotallymoving the arbor to a horizontal position in coaxial alignment with saidaxis and to a tilted position for raising the spool to and supporting itin a predetermined oblique unwinding position, a fluid actuator formoving the slide on the base to an inoperative position with the arbordisengaged from the spool and to an operative position with the arbor intelescoping engagement with the spool, and control means including amanually actuated element operable in response to movement thereof to afirst position to effect the sequential operation of said actuators tocause the horizontal movement of the arbor into engagement with thespool and the pivotal movement of the arbor and the spool to saidoblique unwinding position and operable in response to movement of saidelement to a second position for effecting the return movement of thearbor and the spooi from said oblique position to said horizontalposition and the horizontal return movement of the arbor from the spool.

4. In an apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwindingstation, a base, means on said base for guiding a spool for rollingmovement to a predetermined loading position coaxially aligned with afirst horizontal axis, a slide mounted on said base for movementparallel to said axis, an arbor pivotally mounted on the slide forsupporting the spool, a first fluid actuator on said slide for pivotallymoving the arbor to a horizontal position in coaxial alignment with saidfirst axis and to a tilted position for raising the spool to andsupporting it in a predetermined oblique unwinding position, means onsaid slide for latching the arbor in tilted position, a second fluidactuator for moving the slide on the base to an inoperative positionwith the arbor disengaged from the spool and to an operative positionfor effecting the telescoping engagement of the arbor with the spool, athird fluid actuator for operating the latching means to release thearbor, and control means including a manually actuated valve operable inresponse to movement thereof to a first position to effect thesequential operation of said actuators to cause the horizontal movementof the arbor into engagement with the spool and the pivotal movement ofthe arbor and the spool to said oblique unwinding position and operablein response to movement of the valve to a second position for effectingthe unlatching of the arbor and the pivotal movement thereof from tiltedto horizontal position and the horizontal movement of the arbor from thespool.

5. An apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwindingstation which comprises a base, means on said base for guiding a spoolof wire for movement to a predetermined loading position with the axisthereof disposed in a predetermined horizontal direction, a slidemounted on said base for movement parallel to said direction, a spoolsupporting member including a plate engageable with one end of the spooland an arbor element extending perpendicularly therefrom for telescopingengagement with the spool, means for mounting the spool supportingmember on the slide for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axisadjacent the lower edge of the plate to a normal position with the arborelement disposed horizontally in coaxial alignment with the spool and toa tilted position for supporting the spool in a predetermined raised andobliquely disposed unwinding position, a fluid actuator on the slide formoving the reel supporting member to and from said horizontal and saidtilted positions, a second fluid actuator interconnecting the slide andthe base for moving the slide to a normal inoperative position with thearbor element disengaged from a spool in loading position and to anoperative position in telescoping engagement with the spool, conduitmeans for connecting the actuators to a source of fluid pressure, amanually operable valve in the conduit means operable in one positionfor directing fluid pressure to the second fluid actuator to eflect themovement of the slide to its operative position and the telescopingengagement of the arbor element with the spool, 21 first auxiliary valvein the conduit means operable in response to movements of the slide toits operative position for disconnecting the fluid pressure from thefirst fluid actuator and for directing the fluid pressure to the secondfluid actuator to efiect the pivotal movement of the spool supportingmember from its normal horizontal position to said tilted position, saidmanually operable valve being operable in a second position todisconnect the fluid pressure from said first auxiliary valve and directit to the opposite end of the second actuator to effect the pivotalmovement of the spool supporting member and the spool thereon from saidtilted position to said horizontal position, and a second auxiliaryvalve in the conduit means operable in response to movement of the spoolsupporting member to said horizontal position for disconnecting thefluid pressure from said second fluid actuator and directing it into theopposite end of the first fluid actuator for effecting the returnmovement of the slide to its inoperative position and the disengagementof the arbor element from the spool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,264,149 Grimshaw Nov. 25, 1941 2,677,476 Bebinger May 4, 19542,755,033 Anderson July 17, 1956

